Esquerra Republicana quizzes the Spanish government in the Senate on Catalangate—the case of espionage on pro-independence supporters—after the executive refused to receive the European Parliament’s mission engaged in the inquiry into the affair

Senate spokeswoman for Esquerra Republicana Mirella Cortés asked Minister of Defence Margarita Robles on Tuesday, 28 March “whether the Government considers it its duty to contribute to clarifying the cases of espionage carried out with Pegasus spyware.” The question came after the Spanish government failed to receive the European Parliament mission to Madrid to inquire into the Catalangate case, and “the Government decided to avoid them with various excuses,” Ms Cortès rebuked.

The Senator recalled that the European Parliament mission had come to the Spanish Congress last week to look into the 65 exploits on political leaders and others linked to the Catalan independence movement uncovered by Citizen Lab, but neither President Sánchez nor any of his ministers received them. “There was time”, reprimanded Ms Cortès, but “what was missing was political will and transparency to clear up this matter which they do not want to clear up, either through ignorance, fear or complicity. And no reason is politically acceptable.”

“The Spanish government has missed the chance to cooperate with the inquiry. It is time for them to assume the situation, act responsibly and provide all the information necessary to clarify the facts,” said Ms Cortés, who demanded that the minister “amend the repressive policy entirely.” The senator remarked that “the executive’s lack of respect for the Catalan institutions, the Catalan people and the European institutions is worrying.”

The executive’s lack of respect for the Catalan institutions, the Catalan people and the European institutions is worrying

Mirella Cortès Senator of Esquerra Republicana

In this regard, Ms Cortès warned that cooperating with the European institutions that mean to clear up this case of espionage is the only thing that “will prevent those who consider democracy and freedoms to be cardboard props, those who protect the yearning of the elites who went to bed one night as fascists and woke up democrats, from returning to power, if they ever left.”

Ms Cortès wondered in askance of the defence chief “If what we are seeing occurs with the progressive government that you purport to be, what might we expect if the far right gets to Moncloa?” (the official residence and office of the prime minister of Spain), in regard to “the direct attack on freedom of expression and fundamental rights” that the arbitrary and unjustified, ideologically motivated espionage entails.

Finally, Ms Cortès has cautioned the Defence minister that “furnishing ballot boxes to decide on the future of Catalonia does not constitute a threat to the security of the State, nor does it jeopardize the rights and freedoms of the citizens. Spying illegally on journalists, jurists, politicians, lawyers, civilians, certainly is a flagrant violation of Fundamental Rights.”